Jacob deGrom has another exam, but two-week shutdown of Mets' ace hasn't changed

SAN FRANCISCO — Jacob deGrom had yet another doctor’s appointment Monday, and the update was there is no update.

Dr. David Altchek, the Mets’ medical director, told deGrom and the Mets that the inflammation in his right elbow is improving, but not enough to inspire a change of plans, according to manager Luis Rojas.

"The two-week shutdown still is in play," Rojas said.

That was an in-house check-in after deGrom got a second opinion last week from Dr. Neal ElAttrache, a highly regarded orthopedic surgeon who is the Dodgers’ head team physician. The result then was a second two-week shutdown, thrusting the remainder of deGrom’s season into question.

Altchek has been the Mets’ top doctor since 2005, a tenure that includes deGrom’s entire professional career (which began in 2010). He is more familiar than anyone with deGrom’s elbow innards, from Tommy John surgery in 2010 to ulnar nerve transposition surgery in 2016 to this year’s episode.

Nido to IL

Tomas Nido landed on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left thumb, caused when a pitch over the weekend caught his glove hand wrong and jammed it.

"It’s not that serious," acting general manager Zack Scott said. "It was actually a debate whether we’d put him on the IL or not."

The Mets opted to do so, because they needed to activate Patrick Mazeika to ensure they had a backup catcher.

"There was a chance that [(Nido] could come back in the middle of this 10-day period, but what’s the point?" Scott said. "Let’s just give him the full 10 days. He should be back right away."

The other roster moves: Trevor Williams called up, Geoff Hartlieb demoted to Triple-A Syracuse. Williams was slated to serve as the long reliever, if necessary, for a worn-down bullpen.

Lefthander Andrew Mitchell and righthander Yeizo Campos also are with the Mets as part of the taxi squad.

Baez ‘talking’

Javier Baez (back spasms) accompanied the Mets on their West-Coast swing and was doing better Monday than he had been, Rojas said.

He took grounders at second base during batting practice.

"He’s better today, moving around, talking," Rojas said. "He was joking around, saying, ‘Put me in.’ The best day out of the last couple that I’ve seen him moving around, more positive about how he’s felt body-wise. Let’s see how he keeps responding and when he’s going to do activity on the field, because he hasn’t done it for the last four or five days or so."

The Mets expect Baez to return when eligible Sunday.

Home $weet home

Mets owner Steve Cohen has new spring training digs: a $21.65 million mansion in Delray Beach, Florida, purchased last week, the South Florida Business Journal reported.

The 19,084-square-foot home includes seven bedrooms, 11 bathrooms and three half-bathrooms, a full-sized basketball/tennis court, a theatre room, a full conference room, a sauna and fitness room, a salon, a bowling alley and 32-foot ceilings and marble floors in the living room.

Cohen’s new property is about 75 minutes south of the Mets’ spring training facility.

Prospecting

Thinned by trades in recent years, the Mets’ farm system ranks 21st out of the 30 major-league teams, according to Baseball America’s midseason update. That is up a bit, actually, from 23rd coming into the season.

The Mets have four top-100 prospects: catcher Francisco Alvarez (No. 15), third baseman Brett Baty (61), shortstop Ronny Mauricio (66) and third baseman Mark Vientos (91). Righthander Matt Allan was on that list at the start of the year but fell off after missing the season because of Tommy John surgery.

Extra bases

Jose Martinez (knee surgery) had his rehabilitation assignment transferred to High-A Brooklyn. He went 1-for-7 in three games with Low-A St. Lucie . . . The Mets took batting practice before the game Monday despite not getting to their San Francisco hotel until 4:30 a.m. "The guys got their rest," Rojas said. "They’re looking good."